No matter the veracity of its basic premise, “Sister Aimee” is upfront about its fictitiousness, claiming that “5½ percent is truth. The rest is imagination.” Unfortunately, the invention on display is of a helter-skelter variety, as Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann’s film so madly lurches about in search of a tone that it feels like the first draft of a gonzo faux-biopic. To be sure, there’s a method to its madcap decision to play fast and loose with the facts. But .
“Sister Aimee” is a made-up tall tale about what happened to the actual Sister Aimee Semple McPherson — a nationally famous 1920s Evangelical preacher who rocketed to stardom thanks to her canny use of radio — when, in 1926, she vanished for five weeks following a swim in Venice Beach, Calif. She’d eventually reappear in Mexico, claiming she’d been kidnapped, and inciting a media firestorm thanks to accusations that...
“Sister Aimee” is a made-up tall tale about what happened to the actual Sister Aimee Semple McPherson — a nationally famous 1920s Evangelical preacher who rocketed to stardom thanks to her canny use of radio — when, in 1926, she vanished for five weeks following a swim in Venice Beach, Calif. She’d eventually reappear in Mexico, claiming she’d been kidnapped, and inciting a media firestorm thanks to accusations that...
- 9/26/2019
- by Nick Schager
- Variety Film + TV
It’s hard to keep up with a movie that is constantly changing its story. It’s even harder when that story is stranger than fiction and may even be fiction — but about a real person. Such is the case of “Sister Aimee,” writers-directors Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann’s (“Canary”) film that scrambles together a mix of rumors and fantasies about notorious evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. But the finished product fails to say much about these tales.
It’s worth noting that a woman who is actually able to control her narrative, even filling it with lies, without it being usurped by a man’s perspective in any era is an extraordinary feat. But that’s especially true in 1926, when we first meet Sister Aimee as she’s wrapping up yet another breathless healing service where she miraculously cures her subject while remaining stupendously dissatisfied. She’s craving something...
It’s worth noting that a woman who is actually able to control her narrative, even filling it with lies, without it being usurped by a man’s perspective in any era is an extraordinary feat. But that’s especially true in 1926, when we first meet Sister Aimee as she’s wrapping up yet another breathless healing service where she miraculously cures her subject while remaining stupendously dissatisfied. She’s craving something...
- 9/26/2019
- by Candice Frederick
- The Wrap
"I'm just an entertainer, that's all." 1091 has unveiled an official trailer for an indie comedy titled Sister Aimee, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. From directors Samantha Buck & Marie Schlingmann making their feature debut, the film stars newcomer Anna Margaret Hollyman as Sister Aimee. America's most famous evangelist in 1926 is a woman looking for a way out. Fed up with her own success, and swept up in her lover’s daydreams about Mexico, she finds herself on a wild road trip to the border. "Based on true events. Mostly made up." The cast includes Michael Mosley, Andrea Suarez Paz, Julie White, Amy Hargreaves, Macon Blair, Luis Bordonada, Nathan Zellner, Lee Eddy, John Merriman, and Bill Wise. This looks like it gets extra wild by the end, with all sorts of happenings. Here's the first trailer for Samantha Buck & Marie Schlingmann's Sister Aimee, from 1091's YouTube:...
- 8/21/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
While the story of the 1926 disappearance of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson may not be known by many, there’s more than enough in the life story of this cult figure to fill many movies. For their narrative feature debut, queer filmmakers Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann zero in on the five weeks that Semple McPherson (at one point the second most popular religious figure in the world behind the Pope) went missing in Mexico. As seen in this exclusive first trailer, the result is an often zany, satirical, and feminist musical comedy led by a radiant Anna Margaret Hollyman.
Here’s the official synopsis: “In 1926 America’s most famous evangelist is a woman. And she’s looking for a way out. Fed up with her own success, she gets swept up in her lover’s daydreams about Mexico and finds herself on a wild road trip towards the border. Based on true events.
Here’s the official synopsis: “In 1926 America’s most famous evangelist is a woman. And she’s looking for a way out. Fed up with her own success, she gets swept up in her lover’s daydreams about Mexico and finds herself on a wild road trip towards the border. Based on true events.
- 8/20/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Filmmakers Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann aren’t promising the truth in their often wily, occasionally weird “Sister Aimee”: the film opens with a scroll that explains that only “5.5 percent” of what follows is real, the rest is pure imagination. Yet 5.5 percent of the duo’s chosen subject is enough to yield some jaw-dropping revelations, and even the stuff the writers and directors make up about the 1926 disappearance of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson (the always-stellar Anna Margaret Hollyman) is nutty enough to fit in alongside the mythos of a religious figure who was, at one time, second only to the pope in her popularity. Despite a modern unawareness surrounding Semple McPherson and her wild life — just look at her wholly bonkers Wikipedia page! — much of it is indeed worthy of the big screen treatment, perhaps even a decade-spanning limited series.
For their snappy 87-minute feature, Buck and Schlingmann focus...
For their snappy 87-minute feature, Buck and Schlingmann focus...
- 3/12/2019
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The New Hollywood Podcast landed in Park City to spread inclusivity and representation at the Sundance Film Festival. In one of two live panels focused on Lgbtq inclusion and representation, we chatted with Adam director Rhys Ernst and star Bobbi Salvor Menuez as well as Sister Aimee directors Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann.
Although the two films take place in two totally different time periods, they are cut from the same cloth when it comes to sexual liberation and exploring sexual identity. Adam follows the titular awkward, self-conscious teen (Nicholas Alexander), who spends the summer with his hip and queer older sister Casey (Margaret Qualley) in New York City. While he is there he falls for Gillian (Menuez) — but she mistakes him for a trans man and he can’t quite bring himself to correct her error as the two grow closer. Before long, what started as a simple misunderstanding...
Although the two films take place in two totally different time periods, they are cut from the same cloth when it comes to sexual liberation and exploring sexual identity. Adam follows the titular awkward, self-conscious teen (Nicholas Alexander), who spends the summer with his hip and queer older sister Casey (Margaret Qualley) in New York City. While he is there he falls for Gillian (Menuez) — but she mistakes him for a trans man and he can’t quite bring himself to correct her error as the two grow closer. Before long, what started as a simple misunderstanding...
- 1/28/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
And the Independent Spirit Awards have revealed the winners and it's looking a lot like the Academy Awards! "Birdman" beat "Boyhood" for the Best Feature trophy but Richard Linklater took away the Best Director award from Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu.
Is this a sign of what's going to happen at the Oscars tonight?
Stay tuned...
2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Winners (Highlighted) And Nominees
Best Feature
(Award given to the Producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
Winner: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole
Boyhood
Producers: Richard Linklater, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland
Love is Strange
Producers: Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jay Van Hoy
Selma
Producers: Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey
Whiplash
Producers: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster, Michael Litvak
Best Director
Winner: Richard Linklater
Boyhood
Damien Chazelle
Whiplash
Ava DuVernay...
Is this a sign of what's going to happen at the Oscars tonight?
Stay tuned...
2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Winners (Highlighted) And Nominees
Best Feature
(Award given to the Producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)
Winner: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole
Boyhood
Producers: Richard Linklater, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, Cathleen Sutherland
Love is Strange
Producers: Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jay Van Hoy
Selma
Producers: Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey
Whiplash
Producers: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster, Michael Litvak
Best Director
Winner: Richard Linklater
Boyhood
Damien Chazelle
Whiplash
Ava DuVernay...
- 2/22/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Richard Linklater won for Best Director and Patricia Arquette won the Best Supporting actress for team Boyhood, while Iñárritu’s Birdman claimed Best Picture, Best Actor (Michael Keaton) and Cinematographer (Emmanuel Lubezki) at the 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards last night. The split might foreshadow how the Oscars play out tonite, as the Middleweight Saturday ceremony and Heavyweight Sunday gig are more or less interchangeable. The two films that might gain a little further traction from the tent spotlight include Nightcrawler (which picked up Best First Feature and Best Screenplay) and Whiplash, Damien Chazelle’s deservedly won for Best Supporting Actor and Editing categories. Also worth pointing out is a Land Ho! win in the category we love the most: the John Cassavetes Award. Here are the winners and noms.
Best Feature:
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” *Winner
“Boyhood”
“Love is Strange”
“Selma”
“Whiplash”
Best Director
Damien Chazelle,...
Best Feature:
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” *Winner
“Boyhood”
“Love is Strange”
“Selma”
“Whiplash”
Best Director
Damien Chazelle,...
- 2/22/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Just one night before the Oscars take over town, stars flocked to the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards on the Santa Monica Beach on Saturday (February 21).
Fred Armisen and Kristen Bell joined forces for co-hosting duties and put on a fabulous show as actors and actresses including Scarlett Johansson, Ethan Hawke, Jessica Chastain, Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto and Emma Stone turned up to lend their star power to the IFC airing ceremony.
As for this year's cream of the crop, Michael Keaton (Birdman), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) took home top honors in the lead and supporting acting categories.
Meanwhile, in what very well may be an indicator for what's to come tomorrow at the Academy Awards, "Birdman" was recognized as Best Feature while Richard Linklater nabbed Best Director accolades for "Boyhood".
Check out the full list of winners from the 2015 Spirit Awards below!
Best...
Fred Armisen and Kristen Bell joined forces for co-hosting duties and put on a fabulous show as actors and actresses including Scarlett Johansson, Ethan Hawke, Jessica Chastain, Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto and Emma Stone turned up to lend their star power to the IFC airing ceremony.
As for this year's cream of the crop, Michael Keaton (Birdman), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) took home top honors in the lead and supporting acting categories.
Meanwhile, in what very well may be an indicator for what's to come tomorrow at the Academy Awards, "Birdman" was recognized as Best Feature while Richard Linklater nabbed Best Director accolades for "Boyhood".
Check out the full list of winners from the 2015 Spirit Awards below!
Best...
- 2/22/2015
- GossipCenter
Fred Armisen and Kristen Bell hosted the 30th Independent Spirit Awards from Los Angeles today (February 21).
Digital Spy rounds up all of the winners from this year's ceremony below:
Best Feature
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - Winner!
Boyhood
Love is Strange
Selma
Whiplash
Best Director
Damien Chazelle - Whiplash
Ava DuVernay - Selma
Alejandro G. Iñárritu - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater - Boyhood - Winner!
David Zellner - Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
Best Screenplay
Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski - Big Eyes
J.C. Chandor - A Most Violent Year
Dan Gilroy - Nightcrawler - Winner!
Jim Jarmusch - Only Lovers Left Alive
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias - Love is Strange
Best First Feature (Award given to the director and producer.)
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Director: Ana Lily Amirpour
Producers: Justin Begnaud, Sina Sayyah
Dear White People
Director/Producer: Justin Simien
Producers: Effie T. Brown,...
Digital Spy rounds up all of the winners from this year's ceremony below:
Best Feature
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - Winner!
Boyhood
Love is Strange
Selma
Whiplash
Best Director
Damien Chazelle - Whiplash
Ava DuVernay - Selma
Alejandro G. Iñárritu - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Richard Linklater - Boyhood - Winner!
David Zellner - Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
Best Screenplay
Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski - Big Eyes
J.C. Chandor - A Most Violent Year
Dan Gilroy - Nightcrawler - Winner!
Jim Jarmusch - Only Lovers Left Alive
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias - Love is Strange
Best First Feature (Award given to the director and producer.)
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Director: Ana Lily Amirpour
Producers: Justin Begnaud, Sina Sayyah
Dear White People
Director/Producer: Justin Simien
Producers: Effie T. Brown,...
- 2/22/2015
- Digital Spy
The 2015 Spirit Awards were handed out today and it was Birdman taking Best Feature and Best Actor (Michael Keaton) while Boyhood went home a double winner taking Best Director (Richard Linklater) and Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette). However, while that's the result for the two big guns that will be going head-to-head at tomorrow night's Oscars, Nightcrawler was also a double winner taking Best Screenplay and Best First Feature, both awarded to writer/director Dan Gilroy. Otherwise, no big surprises with Julianne Moore (Still Alice) taking Best Actress and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) taking Supporting Actor, Citizenfour took Best Documentary and Birdman scored a third win for Emmanuel Lubezki for Best Cinematography. Justin Simien (Dear White People) took home Best First Screenplay and, whoa!, Look!, Whiplash was also a double winner, with Tom Cross winning for Best Editing (well deserved!) and anticipated Oscar winner in the same category, Ida won Best Foreign Language Film.
- 2/22/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
HitFix Award Gurus Kris Tapley and Greg Ellwood are both attending Saturday's Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday (February 21) afternoon in Santa Monica and they left me to handle HitFix's Independent Spirit Awards Winners & Losers list. And once I'm watching Saturday's show, I might as well be live-blogging Saturday's show as preparation for Sunday's Oscars live-blog, especially since is the last time that "Birdman" and "Boyhood" will be going head-to-head for Best Picture (along with "Selma" and "Whiplash") before the Academy Awards. So follow along and say "Hi" in the comments below... And remember that Saturday's show, hosted by Kristen Bell and Fred Armisen, is airing live on IFC, not that obnoxious tape-delayed thing they used to do! 1:50 p.m. Pt. The show hasn't started, but if you're following the Winners list, you know that "Birdman" has already won for for cinematography, while "Whiplash" won for editing, both results I can accept.
- 2/21/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
The 30th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards were presented Saturday from a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. Check out the full list of winners below. Best Feature "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" - Winner "Boyhood" "Love is Strange" "Selma" "Whiplash" Best Director Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash" Ava DuVernay, "Selma" Alejandro G. Iñárritu, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" Richard Linklater, "Boyhood" - Winner David Zellner, "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter" Best Screenplay Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, "Big Eyes" J.C. Chandor, "A Most Violent Year" Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler" - Winner Jim Jarmusch, "Only Lovers Left Alive" Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, "Love is Strange" Best First Feature Ana Lily Amirpour, "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" Justin Simien, "Dear White People" Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler" - Winner Gillian Robespierre, "Obvious Child" Anja Marquardt, "She's Lost Control" Best First Screenplay Desiree Akhavan, "Appropriate Behavior" Sara Colangelo, "Little Accidents" Justin Lader,...
- 2/21/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
The 30th Independent Spirit Awards was held in Santa Monica Saturday afternoon, and "Birdman" and "Boyhood" were the ceremony's big winners. Hosted by Kristen Bell and Fred Armisen, the more casual Oscar precursor honored the best in independent filmmaking from the past year. Only three films -- "12 Years a Slave," "Platoon," and "The Artist" -- have won best feature at the Spirits and gone on to nab the Best Picture Oscar. Time will tell if this year's Spirit winner will follow in their footsteps. Get a complete list of the nominees with the winners in bold, below:
Best Feature
"Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" - Winner
"Boyhood"
"Love is Strange"
"Selma"
"Whiplash"
Best Director
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood" - Winner
Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"
Ava DuVernay, "Selma"
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
David Zellner, "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter"
Best Screenplay
Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler" - Winner
Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski,...
Best Feature
"Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" - Winner
"Boyhood"
"Love is Strange"
"Selma"
"Whiplash"
Best Director
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood" - Winner
Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash"
Ava DuVernay, "Selma"
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
David Zellner, "Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter"
Best Screenplay
Dan Gilroy, "Nightcrawler" - Winner
Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski,...
- 2/21/2015
- by Alana Altmann
- Moviefone
If there was a wonderful understated performance recently it belonged to Andrea Suarez Paz who has been nominated for the Best Supporting Actress award at the prestigious 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards (that’s the one you can get drunk and drop F-Bombs to your hearts content). Her role in the critically acclaimed “Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors” has Andrea nominated alongside Patricia Arquette, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain and Carmen Ejogo which is nothing less than incredibly impressive for a Mexican born, New York claimed actor. LatinoBuzz wants to be her homie.
LatinoBuzz: What film or actress inspired you to act?
Andrea: There was this amazing lady playing very interesting roles in telenovelas when I was growing up whom I definitely considered a genius. Her name is Margarita Sanz and I was around 5 years old when I became her fan. All the older actresses in telenovelas blew my mind when I was a kid, they call them "first actress" and they are the artists that have been performing in the theater for decades and then they get to be the evil stepmom or the psycho killer in telenovelas. They did powerful work. My mom knew of my affinity for this and took me to see them live on stage whenever they visited our local theater. I once saw one of these women play The Little Prince. To see an older woman play a little boy on stage completely blasted open my perception to what it meant to act. That was it for me.
LatinoBuzz: When you read the script for "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" what drew you to the character?
Andrea: Well, it was an emotional roller coaster, which is what we as actors pray to get to do. It seemed like an insurmountable challenge - which I'm beginning to learn is what truly sparks me- a fantastic challenge. I was also terribly moved. My son was 9 months at the time, so to picture him away from me was immediately something I wanted to avoid. These were all very good signs that going head first onto this was going to be rough and terrifying. I like that
LatinoBuzz: What kind research did you do for the role?
Andrea: I read a lot on autism, which is surprisingly and annoyingly a huge mystery. There are all kinds of theories as to what causes it, if it might be preventable, how to best treat it. It was very scary to find out that nobody knows for sure and there is not great research being done and the vast majority of research is done privately. This infuriated me, which was a good start. I visited a support group for mothers of children in the spectrum a few times and realized how challenging it is to have a child with special needs and I learned that you have to draw strength from thin air incessantly and keep an unwavering state of deep focus.
I also learned that even though Autism can be frightening and terribly demanding, it also comes with its vast share of superpowers that are unknown to the typical human. A different and astonishing type of mind with a magical glow. So, in the end I also became in love with it and ended up with a healthy mix of emotions. Then I got to hang out with Jesus Sanchez (who plays Ricky in the movie) prior to filming which was a big luxury and we talked a lot and swam in the ocean together and by the time we started shooting I was just so sincerely crazy about this kid who was so smart, so deeply compassionate and had such impeccable morals that I just felt so fortunate to be partners with him. And he was such a fantastic actor! I was a proud mother of my perfect boy by the end.
LatinoBuzz: You are from Mexico, did you ever think that one day you would be living in the greatest city in the world and then one day nominated for an Independent Spirit Award? Do you hope it would inspire that little girl in Monterrey, Mexico?
Andrea: Well, I certainly dreamed about it. And I did at some point in my life begin to work my way here and I knew there were no guarantees. I do hope to inspire, I mean I live off inspiration and its the force that keeps me working, that keeps me creating. its a wonderful feeling to be able to inspire back, to keep that flow going. Being Latina in the Us is something I'm still learning about everyday. I don't feel inherently different in any way from anybody else and It is a feeling I cherish and that has helped me avoid thinking of my ethnicity as a potential obstacle from what i want to achieve. I am a woman and I am from Mexico, that is true. I am an artist, that is also true. When I work, I hope I'm not a woman from Mexico but an artist in body and spirit. I'm also a New Yorker, by the way.
LatinoBuzz: You used to play Punk Rock music. Five best Punk bands ever, Go!
Andrea:
The Clash
The Buzzcocks
Joy Division
Gang of Four
The Mekons
I also consider Neil Young and Bach to be big punks.
LatinoBuzz: The dream role, co-star, director and what's the storyline?
Andrea: I would like to play a passionate revolutionary or an extremely happy person. I adore Sally Hawkins in "Happy Go Lucky." I'm really dying to work with my Mexican peeps: Gonzalez Iñárritu, Cuarón, Del Toro. Maybe I'm the badass lady who rids Mexico of drugs, of oppression and illiteracy.
LatinoBuzz: Given what's happening in Mexico and the world still stands idle, do you find art meaningless or even more meaningful? And how does it make you feel?
Andrea: It makes me feel angry and ashamed and profoundly sad. My parents are big liberals and taught us to never trust a government that rids their people of basic human rights. Growing up, my Mexican town of Monterrey was so safe, we wouldn't lock our cars or our front doors, and that is gone. Monterrey is considered one of the deadliest, most violent places in the nation and I have seen my loved ones be profoundly affected by this horrific shift. There was always a lot of gruesome inequality but, in most towns we had basic security to move freely around. I think art is, unfortunately, sometimes our only shot at communicating our indignation safely and effectively. Before Internet existed, films were my source of real information from the world.
Films made by many artists working together for the love of a common project that they believed in, in which humanity was presented and experienced from a truthful standpoint, with no cop outs. In many points in history (now as well, of course) films and filmmakers have been banned for political reasons- that's how annoying they can be to oppressing systems, how dangerous. Mexico has relied on television for decades to keep the citizens misinformed and in a constant state of stupor. I mean we live in a time where democracy is almost synonymous with oligarchy. Artists have a tremendous purpose in society, which is to continually expose, to continually challenge and to never stop producing. To never stop creating, no matter what.
LatinoBuzz: What would the win at the Independent Spirit Awards mean to you? Who would first person that will come to your mind?
Andrea: It would just be a tremendous recognition of my work. My husband is the first person, because god knows it’s hard to love a struggling actor and he has been a force of nature. My son gave me a new and enhanced shot at life - he is to thank for my whole past, present and future existence.
LatinoBuzz: What's next?
Andrea: Lots of more work! A mystery. As it has always been.
Hang out with Andrea at www.andreasuarezpaz.com
Written by Juan Caceres, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow[At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook...
LatinoBuzz: What film or actress inspired you to act?
Andrea: There was this amazing lady playing very interesting roles in telenovelas when I was growing up whom I definitely considered a genius. Her name is Margarita Sanz and I was around 5 years old when I became her fan. All the older actresses in telenovelas blew my mind when I was a kid, they call them "first actress" and they are the artists that have been performing in the theater for decades and then they get to be the evil stepmom or the psycho killer in telenovelas. They did powerful work. My mom knew of my affinity for this and took me to see them live on stage whenever they visited our local theater. I once saw one of these women play The Little Prince. To see an older woman play a little boy on stage completely blasted open my perception to what it meant to act. That was it for me.
LatinoBuzz: When you read the script for "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors" what drew you to the character?
Andrea: Well, it was an emotional roller coaster, which is what we as actors pray to get to do. It seemed like an insurmountable challenge - which I'm beginning to learn is what truly sparks me- a fantastic challenge. I was also terribly moved. My son was 9 months at the time, so to picture him away from me was immediately something I wanted to avoid. These were all very good signs that going head first onto this was going to be rough and terrifying. I like that
LatinoBuzz: What kind research did you do for the role?
Andrea: I read a lot on autism, which is surprisingly and annoyingly a huge mystery. There are all kinds of theories as to what causes it, if it might be preventable, how to best treat it. It was very scary to find out that nobody knows for sure and there is not great research being done and the vast majority of research is done privately. This infuriated me, which was a good start. I visited a support group for mothers of children in the spectrum a few times and realized how challenging it is to have a child with special needs and I learned that you have to draw strength from thin air incessantly and keep an unwavering state of deep focus.
I also learned that even though Autism can be frightening and terribly demanding, it also comes with its vast share of superpowers that are unknown to the typical human. A different and astonishing type of mind with a magical glow. So, in the end I also became in love with it and ended up with a healthy mix of emotions. Then I got to hang out with Jesus Sanchez (who plays Ricky in the movie) prior to filming which was a big luxury and we talked a lot and swam in the ocean together and by the time we started shooting I was just so sincerely crazy about this kid who was so smart, so deeply compassionate and had such impeccable morals that I just felt so fortunate to be partners with him. And he was such a fantastic actor! I was a proud mother of my perfect boy by the end.
LatinoBuzz: You are from Mexico, did you ever think that one day you would be living in the greatest city in the world and then one day nominated for an Independent Spirit Award? Do you hope it would inspire that little girl in Monterrey, Mexico?
Andrea: Well, I certainly dreamed about it. And I did at some point in my life begin to work my way here and I knew there were no guarantees. I do hope to inspire, I mean I live off inspiration and its the force that keeps me working, that keeps me creating. its a wonderful feeling to be able to inspire back, to keep that flow going. Being Latina in the Us is something I'm still learning about everyday. I don't feel inherently different in any way from anybody else and It is a feeling I cherish and that has helped me avoid thinking of my ethnicity as a potential obstacle from what i want to achieve. I am a woman and I am from Mexico, that is true. I am an artist, that is also true. When I work, I hope I'm not a woman from Mexico but an artist in body and spirit. I'm also a New Yorker, by the way.
LatinoBuzz: You used to play Punk Rock music. Five best Punk bands ever, Go!
Andrea:
The Clash
The Buzzcocks
Joy Division
Gang of Four
The Mekons
I also consider Neil Young and Bach to be big punks.
LatinoBuzz: The dream role, co-star, director and what's the storyline?
Andrea: I would like to play a passionate revolutionary or an extremely happy person. I adore Sally Hawkins in "Happy Go Lucky." I'm really dying to work with my Mexican peeps: Gonzalez Iñárritu, Cuarón, Del Toro. Maybe I'm the badass lady who rids Mexico of drugs, of oppression and illiteracy.
LatinoBuzz: Given what's happening in Mexico and the world still stands idle, do you find art meaningless or even more meaningful? And how does it make you feel?
Andrea: It makes me feel angry and ashamed and profoundly sad. My parents are big liberals and taught us to never trust a government that rids their people of basic human rights. Growing up, my Mexican town of Monterrey was so safe, we wouldn't lock our cars or our front doors, and that is gone. Monterrey is considered one of the deadliest, most violent places in the nation and I have seen my loved ones be profoundly affected by this horrific shift. There was always a lot of gruesome inequality but, in most towns we had basic security to move freely around. I think art is, unfortunately, sometimes our only shot at communicating our indignation safely and effectively. Before Internet existed, films were my source of real information from the world.
Films made by many artists working together for the love of a common project that they believed in, in which humanity was presented and experienced from a truthful standpoint, with no cop outs. In many points in history (now as well, of course) films and filmmakers have been banned for political reasons- that's how annoying they can be to oppressing systems, how dangerous. Mexico has relied on television for decades to keep the citizens misinformed and in a constant state of stupor. I mean we live in a time where democracy is almost synonymous with oligarchy. Artists have a tremendous purpose in society, which is to continually expose, to continually challenge and to never stop producing. To never stop creating, no matter what.
LatinoBuzz: What would the win at the Independent Spirit Awards mean to you? Who would first person that will come to your mind?
Andrea: It would just be a tremendous recognition of my work. My husband is the first person, because god knows it’s hard to love a struggling actor and he has been a force of nature. My son gave me a new and enhanced shot at life - he is to thank for my whole past, present and future existence.
LatinoBuzz: What's next?
Andrea: Lots of more work! A mystery. As it has always been.
Hang out with Andrea at www.andreasuarezpaz.com
Written by Juan Caceres, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow[At]LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook...
- 12/9/2014
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
Question. What do The Skeleton Twins, The Better Angels and actor Miles Teller have in common? There’ll always be some head-scratcher surprises and snubs and the 2015 Indie Spirit award nominations are no different. It goes with the territory. As we tend to some wounds, we access those that were criminally overlooked in the key categories. Here is a glance at some of the shoulda, woulda and coulda.
Best Feature
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
Love is Strange
Selma
Whiplash
Falling below the 21 million mark set by the Indie Spirit folks, it is indeed an odd year when a major studio release figures among the fives noms. Considering that Ava DuVernay is an indie talent, I didn’t think her film would be part of the equation. That said, it was a given that Boyhood and the more deserving Birdman and Whiplash would all face off. In...
Best Feature
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
Love is Strange
Selma
Whiplash
Falling below the 21 million mark set by the Indie Spirit folks, it is indeed an odd year when a major studio release figures among the fives noms. Considering that Ava DuVernay is an indie talent, I didn’t think her film would be part of the equation. That said, it was a given that Boyhood and the more deserving Birdman and Whiplash would all face off. In...
- 11/28/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Nominees for the 30th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced Tuesday, with films such as "Birdman," "Selma," "Boyhood," and "Whiplash" racking up multiple nods.
"Birdman" led the pack with six nominations, including Best Feature, Best Director, and nods in all four acting categories. "Selma" and "Boyhood" tied at five nominations apiece, while "Whiplash" scored four.
The Independent Spirit Awards are seen as an alternative to the Oscars, and are given out to films that are made for less than $20 million. They also hand out a special statuette to a film made for less than $500,000.
This year, "Foxcatcher" (starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo) and "Inherent Vice" were cited for a special distinction award and the Robert Altman Award, respectively. Oscar hopefuls including Jake Gyllenhaal ("Nightcrawler"), Julianne Moore ("Still Alice"), Michael Keaton ("Birdman"), and Patricia Arquette ("Boyhood") also received nominations.
The awards will be handed out on February...
"Birdman" led the pack with six nominations, including Best Feature, Best Director, and nods in all four acting categories. "Selma" and "Boyhood" tied at five nominations apiece, while "Whiplash" scored four.
The Independent Spirit Awards are seen as an alternative to the Oscars, and are given out to films that are made for less than $20 million. They also hand out a special statuette to a film made for less than $500,000.
This year, "Foxcatcher" (starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo) and "Inherent Vice" were cited for a special distinction award and the Robert Altman Award, respectively. Oscar hopefuls including Jake Gyllenhaal ("Nightcrawler"), Julianne Moore ("Still Alice"), Michael Keaton ("Birdman"), and Patricia Arquette ("Boyhood") also received nominations.
The awards will be handed out on February...
- 11/25/2014
- by Katie Roberts
- Moviefone
Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
USA, 2013
Written by Rose Lichter-Marck and Micah Bloomberg
Directed by Sam Fleischner
Barry Levinson’s Rain Man is a decent film, but it did commit at least one serious mistake: it gave audiences almost no reasonable idea of what autism actually is. Being the first-ever movie about autism put it in the spotlight, but it also ensured that Dustin Hoffman’s character would be the most simplistic, audience-friendly, easy-to-grasp person with the condition that anyone is likely to see. The more impressive, artfully done portrayal of autism on film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last week, in the form of Sam Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.
Ricky (Jesus Sanchez-Velez) is a teenager in Queens afflicted with what doctors today call Asd – an autism spectrum disorder, which can include the many flavors of autism as well as Asperger’s Syndrome and other related conditions.
USA, 2013
Written by Rose Lichter-Marck and Micah Bloomberg
Directed by Sam Fleischner
Barry Levinson’s Rain Man is a decent film, but it did commit at least one serious mistake: it gave audiences almost no reasonable idea of what autism actually is. Being the first-ever movie about autism put it in the spotlight, but it also ensured that Dustin Hoffman’s character would be the most simplistic, audience-friendly, easy-to-grasp person with the condition that anyone is likely to see. The more impressive, artfully done portrayal of autism on film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last week, in the form of Sam Fleischner’s Stand Clear of the Closing Doors.
Ricky (Jesus Sanchez-Velez) is a teenager in Queens afflicted with what doctors today call Asd – an autism spectrum disorder, which can include the many flavors of autism as well as Asperger’s Syndrome and other related conditions.
- 4/29/2013
- by Mark Young
- SoundOnSight
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